The Kenya Air Force (KAF) commissioned the newly acquired C-145 Skytruck aircraft which is intended to phase out the Y-12 aircrafts. The aircraft is estimated to be worth Sh. 1.4 billion.
“It is a great day today as we introduce the C-145 Skytruck Aircraft (KAF 2001). This aircraft will not be in the Service for display but to enhance the capability of our air support to our sister Services,” Commander KAF Major General Francis Ogolla said.
The C-145 Skytruck aircraft was acquired through the Excess Defense Article (EDA) of the DoD and U.S. Coast Guard. This followed the signing of the Kenya United States Liason Office (KUSLO) agreement by the two governments on April 4, 2017.
C-145 Skytruck Aircraft is a variant M28 with a capacity of nineteen personnel. The C-145 is more modified with a stronger engine, it has a short take-off and landing capability, picks height faster and has a bigger cargo capacity.
C-145A Skytruck is a light cargo and troop transport aircraft designed and manufactured by Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze (PZL) Mielec for the US Air Force (USAF). The aircraft is primarily used to assist Aviation Foreign Internal Defence (AvFID) missions of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
In August 2016 the United States allocated three surplus C-145As to Kenya, after it had requested six under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programme. They are worth $9 million (versus the $30 million spent on their acquisition). The EDA database lists three aircraft delivered to Kenya.
From September 2019, Kenya Air Force pilots and loadmasters underwent training on the C-145 at Hulburt Field, Florida. They were trained by airmen from the US Air Force’s 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron and 492d Special Operations Wing.
The C-145 is the US Air Force designation for the PZL Mielec M28 – USAF Special Operations Command (AFSOC) acquired 18 C-145A Skytruck/Combat Coyotes, which entered service from 2009, being acquired through Sierra Nevada Corporation, which prepares the aircraft for their specific roles prior to delivery. The Skytrucks are flown in locations across the globe performing infiltration, exfiltration, resupply and other missions as well as foreign air force training.